New Girl
by Jasmine2
Summary: Re-vamped all the chapters, but mostly grammar stuff. Slightly AU...Angel had sired someone that nobody, not even Wes, knew about. How will his friends react when she comes to the hotel and Angel makes her a part of the AI Team?
1. Chapter 1

A Mid-Day Talk

Disclaimer: None of these characters belong to me. Except for Brittney, she is a product of my own demented mind.

Summary: An old friend from Angel's past shows up unexpectedly. What will this mean for Angel and his already fragile relationship with his human friends.

Brittney and Angel were lying down on Angel's bed, just cuddling enjoying the silence and each other's company.

It had been over fifty years since the two had been together. After they had gotten their souls back and left the rest of the group, they had gone to America. The pair stayed together for a few years, but Angel had wanted to stay around New York and the New England states, and Brittney had wanted to move south to see states like Texas and Florida, so they separated. After fifty some-odd years of nothing between the two, she had shown up on his doorstep and said, "Hi!"

"God I've missed this." Brittney whispered.

"Me too." Angel said giving her a kiss on the forehead. "So, where have you been the past few years?"

"Everywhere. After we separated, I went down South and visited a few of the states down there. After that, I went back to Ireland and saw the place my home used to be. They've taken away what was left of the house, and put up a hotel. I stayed there for a night, but it was just too weird. I also went to France, Spain, Italy and England. I eventually came back to the states and stayed in Maryland for a few years. I decided to come look for you and the rest of the group. And, well, here I am." Brittney explained. "So what about you? Did you stay in New York long?" she asked.

"I stayed in New York for a few years. I met a guy named Whistler who told me to go to Sunnydale, California to see the next slayer, Buffy. When I saw her I immediately fell in love with her, or I thought I was in love with her. I even dated her for a while. So I lived in Sunnydale for about three and a half years. I lost my soul for a few months and when I got it back, I was sent to hell. I was brought back somehow but was never really trusted by anyone fully ever again. After Buffy graduated, I left Sunnydale and moved to Los Angeles. I've lived here ever since, running a detective agency that helps the hopeless of the city. I work with a few humans, two old friends from Sunnydale and two that I have met here in LA. We fight demons and vampires and help to keep the city safe. It's a pretty nice job." Angel replied.

"You dated a slayer?! Wow, and I thought you couldn't sink any lower than eating rats. So, what about the rest of the group? Is it true that Spike didn't take Drusilla back when he had the chance?" Brittney asked before Angel had a chance to comment on his relationship with Buffy.

Angel glared at her for a moment and thought about defending himself about the relationship between him and the slayer. It was still too painful, and probably always would be. "Yeah. After Dru and Darla left L.A., Dru went back to Sunnydale to get back with Spike. But he blew her off, surprisingly. Even after all the fuss he made when she left him. I'm not sure where she is right now." Angel informed her.

"Oh." Was all she had to say. She couldn't even begin to think of Spike and Drusilla not being together.

An awkward silence fell between the two vampires. Angel had a question racing through his mind that he knew he would have to ask, but he didn't want to. He was too afraid of the answer he was going to get. He had just gotten his favorite female childe back. But he decided to get it done and over with.

"So, how long are you going to stay?" he asked as nonchalantly as possible.

"I don't know. I want to go and visit Spike but I don't want to have a run in with this Buffy chick. I think I would have to kill her just for believing herself better than you, and I know you would hate me for it. You were the reason I left Maryland and started moving across the U.S. And now that I've finally found you, I have this feeling that if I leave, I won't ever see you again." Brittney told him.

"Why don't you stay?" He didn't mean to say it. But he could not stop the words from escaping through his lips. He didn't want it to seem like he needed her like he used to. He had loved her once, more than Darla and his other childer and had needed her to keep him sane. She had stirred his imagination and had kept him young and strong. Maybe with her by his side again, he could keep his strength up just enough to maintain the fight in helping the hopeless, and moving towards his precious redemption.

"Won't your pretty little human cohorts be upset with you over this? Especially after that little fiasco with Darla and Dru, which of course I heard all about. They might think you have gone over the edge again, might just try and kill you this time around." Brittney said with slight malice in her voice. Whether that malice was aimed at her old vampire family for ruining what Angel had or at his humans for turning so quickly on someone that obviously cared so much about them she was not sure. Maybe it was for both. She may have a soul, but that did not mean that she would be unwilling to kill to defend Angel, even against his so called friends.

"Don't worry about them. If you decide to stay, then they will have to deal with it, or answer to me. Yes, when they find out there will most likely be a fight about it. But I know that you will be on your best behavior around them." Angel said throwing out a bit of his 'I'm your sire and you will do as I say' voice.

Brittney giggled at his attempt to intimidate her. She had never been easily intimidated not even by her own sire. Although she knew that his veiled threat would be carried out if she stepped out of line around his humans, she also knew that his punishments would not be anywhere near as severe as they used to be in the past.

"Well, in that case," Brittney said nestling her neck deeper into Angel's shoulder, "I might just stick around for a while."

Angel smiled at her, gave her a quick kiss, and they both fell asleep in the comfort of each other's arms.


	2. Chapter 2

A Mid-Day Talk  
Part 2: Introductions

Disclaimer: I don't own any of these characters. Only Brittney is mine, she is a figment of my psychotic imagination.

Brittney awoke just as the sun was setting. She didn't know why she was there, she knew she should've left the day before, but he had asked her to stay. When she had first come to look for Angel she only wanted to find him, make sure he was alive and then leave. But, as it always was with her beloved sire, it wasn't that simple.

She turned her head to look at the sleeping form beside her. He looked so peaceful and innocent, nothing like the dangerous, short-tempered vampire he used to be, or the brooding champion he was now. If someone were to walk in the room right now, they would think he was nothing special at all, just another person living in this world.

Brittney felt him move a bit and knew he was awake. "Morning." She said as she turned to face him.

"Hey," he replied. "I was thinking, would it be good morning, or good night." He continued as he put an arm over her and smiled.

"I don't know. Never really thought about it." She answered returning the smile.

Suddenly, a crash was heard coming from the downstairs lobby.

"What was that?" Brittney asked sitting up ready for a fight.

"It was probably just Cordelia or Gunn. They can be clumsy sometimes."

Just then, an ear-piercing scream came from downstairs, "ANGEL!"

"Oh great. Well, come on, time to meet the group." Angel said pulling Brittney out of bed.

"Whatever you say." She said as she slowly got out of bed. She was in no hurry to meet his little human pets and would have loved to stay in bed for another hour or so. Or at least get a shower first.

Angel pulled on a shirt and led Brittney out the room and down the stairs that led to the lobby. Everyone was arguing except for one girl who was standing near the wall all alone. "Hey!" Angel screamed. "What the hell is going on?"

"It's all Gunn's fault. If he hadn't…" Cordelia started, but then stopped when she turned toward Angel saw a girl standing next to him. "Who is she?" she asked puzzled as to why there would be a girl, that she had never seen before, standing next to Angel.

"Everyone, this is Brittney, she'll be staying with us for a while." He said. "Brittney, this is Cordelia, Gunn, Wesley and that back there is Fred."

"Hi."

Everyone stared at her not knowing what to say. No one knew who she was, but Angel obviously knew her. And having his old friends drop by usually did not end well for anybody involved.

"So, you all hunt demons with Angel huh?" Brittney asked ending the awkward silence moment.

"Yeah. So, what did Angel have to save you from last night?" Gunn asked deciding to assume that she was someone that Angel had helped instead of another blast from his past.

"Nothing. I am not one that usually needs saving." Brittney said. She wasn't sure how to go about the conversation because she knew that Angel wanted to tell them about her before she said anything. So, she decided to stick with the vague, "I hunt vampires and demons too. It's a way for me to vent. Plus, it keeps the vamps afraid of me which is always a good." She answered.

"Angel, can I talk to you, in private please?" Cordy asked heading for his office, which was now technically Wesley's office.

Angel nodded and motioned for Brittney to have a seat while he talked to Cordy while he followed Cordelia towards the office. After Angel was in, Cordy shut the door and turned to face him.

"Whats up Cor?"

"What the hell is going on here? That girl can't be more than, what, 17 years old. She is too young to be fighting demons Angel. She's not a slayer, she could get seriously injured. What the hell were you thinking. And, where did you find her anyway?"

"Look, she's not what she seems. She's a lot stronger than she looks and could give any slayer a run for her money, even Buffy." Angel said, not wanting to tell her the truth just yet. "And if you think she could get injured just because she's not a slayer, than you have no room to talk because neither are you, or Fred, or Wes or Gunn for that matter and aside from some minor injuries and a few hospitalizations, you all are just fine."

"You didn't really answer any of my questions, but if she gets..." Cordy stoped and suddenly grabbed her head and started falling to the ground.

Angel grabbed her and lowered her slowly to the ground. After the immediate pain, and the vision, subsided, Angel grabbed a pen and piece of paper off of the desk. "What was it Cordy?"

"Big group of vamps attacking some kids. In the alley behind the drug store on 9th."

"Are you going to be ok?" he asked worriedly.

"Yeah I'm gunna be fine. Just go help those kids. Oh Angel, if she gets hurt…well… don't let her get hurt ok."

"Ok." Angel walked out of the room to address the group that was now sitting on the couch in about the same way that he had left them. "We gotta go guys, Cordy had a vision. Fred, could you stay here with Cordy and make sure she's ok?"

"Yeah. I'm not in a demon fighting mood tonight anyway." She said getting up to get some water and asprin for Cordeila.

"Thanks. Alright then, lets go."

"Where we goin'?" Gunn asked.

"Drugstore on 9th. Group of vamps terrorizing some kids."

"Sounds like fun. Let's go!" Brittney said getting up and walking towards the door.

"Why is she coming with? I know Angel said she would be staying for awhile and she said she killed vamps, but we know nothing about her?" Gunn whispered to Wes as they followed Angel And Brittney out the door.

"I don't know, but if Angel trusts her to come along then I say we go with it for now. The more we have one our side the less chance we have of ending up a midnight snack. Although, she does remind me a lot of Faith with her gung-ho attitude towards slaying. I hope she doesn't turn into another Faith." Wes said to Gunn as they walked out the door.


	3. Chapter 3

A Mid-Day Talk  
Part 3: Finding Out

Disclaimer: I don't own any of these characters, except for Brittney.

They got to the alley where the kids were supposed to be being attacked, and that's just what they found. There were about 8 kids between the ages of 15 and 18 and about 10 vamps circling them about to have a nice little feast.

"We're gunna have some fun with you tonight." One of the vampires said closing in on one of the kids.

"Not if we have anything to do with it." Angel said game face on.

Brittney paused and looked up at Angel, "Can you be any more original?"

"Well well well, what do we have here? The souled one has brought a new little girl along. Please, don't hurt us." Another vamp said laughing at Brittney.

"Normally when I am killing vampires I tend to kill them quickly, y'all minions can be so whiny ya know?! But in your case, I just might make an exception; that is if you last more than five minutes without crying your eyes out like a little baby." Brittney said with a smile plastered on her face as she stepped up to Angel's right.

The vampire that had laughed at her got a really pissed off look on his face and lunged at her. She quickly whipped out a knife, jumped towards him and thrust it in his heart turning him into a big pile of dust. "Atleast he didn't cry." she said dusting the remains of the vamp off her shirt, "So, who's next?"

The nine remaining vampires attacked the small group of four hunters, which proved to be a big mistake. Three of the vampires were dusted within seconds, and the other six weren't fairing any better than there, now dead, companions. Sometime during the fight, Brittney had put her game face on, literally, and was taking down vamps like they were nothing but flies. After all but one had been dusted, the last one attacked her and the others just stood in awe at the fighting skills she had. Angel knew that she could handle this one vampire and also knew that if the other guys knew she could handle herself, it might not be as hard for them to accept her. What they didn't notice was the fangs and yellow eyes that she so proudly wore as she fought the vamp; that is until the vamp threw her into them. They all saw her face and backed away from her in shock. She got up quickly, delivered a few punches and kicks to the vamp and then shoved her knife through his heart.

She dusted of the remains and slid her human visage back on. "Well, that was fun." She exclaimed turning to the rest of the group.

Angel had seen the reaction the others had had when they saw her all vamped out and knew he was in for an ass chewing, mostly by Cordelia when she found out.

"Who the hell are you?" Gunn yelled pulling his homemade ax in front of him.

"Brittney, I thought we covered that." She responded walking back towards the group.

"Yeah, well no one ever told us you were a vampire." Gunn responded, taking his eyes off of her for a second to glare at Angel.

"Hey, don't glare at him. If that Cordelia chick hadn't pulled him away for a little one-on-one time maybe he would've told you."

"That's enough." Angel yelled glaring at Brittney. She just shrugged back knowing that she hadn't stepped over that boundary line between being herself and being rude to his friends. "Look, I know I have a lot of explaining to do. But let's get back to the hotel tell Cordy and Fred what happened, and then you can ask all the questions you want."

"No, I wanna know why the hell you didn't tell us this, oh I don't know, maybe on the way here." Gunn said royally pissed off. They had already had a problem with Angel not divulging information about his "friends," and it had ended with all of them being fired.

Angel knew that they had a right to be upset with him, but he did not want to explain the situation while they stood in an alley where anyone could overhear. "I didn't want to tell you then because I knew you would react this way and I didn't want to be cramped in a car with you guys when you found out."

"Hey, why don't we go along with Angel's idea so he only has to explain this once, okay?" Wes said getting into the front seat of the car.

"Fine. But I'm not sitting next to her."

"Good, cause I don't wanna sit next to you."

"Enough! Let's just go home, please." Angel said walking away with the other two following close behind him.

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	4. Chapter 4

New Girl

Part 4: Story

Disclaimer: I don't own any of these characters, except for Brittney.

Thoughts are designated by **

The drive back to the hotel was made in silence. Wes and Gunn seemed more than angry at Angel, and even more scared and confused by Brittney. Brittney was curious about these humans that Angel had surrounded himself with. They were good fighters, that she realized, but they seemed very untrusting towards Angel. Angel was just hoping to get back to the hotel in one piece.

When they arrived, Cordy and Fred were sitting on the main couch with a slew of Chinese food scattered about the table.

"Well, I am glad you all made it back in one piece." Cordy said.

Angel understood the meaning behind her statement. She was glad that _Brittney_ had made it back in one piece. **If only she knew.**

"We ordered food while you guys were out. I hope you like Chinese Brittney." Fred said.

"Yes, I love Chinese." She responded.

"Is it the food the Chinese make or the Chinese themselves you like better?" Gunn asked, the venom obvious in his voice.

"Gunn please." Angel implored.

"What is he talking about Angel?" Cordy asked.

"Why don't we all sit down and I will explain what's going on." Angel said.

"Might be a good idea to take the sharp, pointy weapons away from _them_ first." Brittney said hopping up on the counter. Angel glared at her once more and Brittney dropped her eyes in response. She knew that Angel was very close to losing it with her if she continued to antagonize his friends.

"I would actually feel much better with my sharp, pointy weapons actually." Gunn said glaring at Brittney.

"Enough!" Angel yelled. "Just sit down." Angel rubbed his eyes for a second feeling the beginnings of a headache beginning to form.

Everyone did as Angel asked. There was silence for a few moments while Angel tried to figure out how to explain this to everyone without bloodshed.

"Well, it's kind of a long story but I will try to explain it as best as I can. First off, Brittney is…a vampire." Angel said.

"WHAT!!!!" Cordy screamed. "What do you mean she is a vampire? Angel, how could you knowingly bring a dangerous vampire in here? And you said that she was staying! She is most certainly not staying…"

"She has a soul." Angel interrupted.

Everyone looked at him as if he had just grown another head and a few spines.

Angel sighed and continued on. "A little over 50 years ago a warlock tried to make her human in order to kill her. She had been given orders by the master to hunt this particular guy down and kill him. She used to be an assassin of sorts for the master and one of the strongest in our clan; much stronger than Spike and Darla. Well, when this warlock tried his spell he messed up somehow. She wasn't made human, but she was given a soul. And she has the ability to walk in the sunlight without getting hurt. After that, Darla, as well as the master, kicked her out of the clan, especially after what had happened to me. She wandered around Europe for a bit and then came to find me. We stayed together for a while but then we split up. I hadn't seen or heard from her in 50 years. Last night, she showed up after you all had already left for the night and Fred was asleep. She had no other place to go, so I asked her to stay. She hasn't killed a human since she got her soul back and she won't hurt any of you. She wants to stay and help. She is a good fighter and knows a lot about demons; she will definitely be an asset to us all."

There was another long silence after Angel's little speech. No one knew what to say.

"Angel," Wes began sounding very confused but trying to also keep his British calm, "how is it that she was an assassin for the master and I never knew about. I would think that she would be in the watcher diaries somewhere?" Wes glanced over at Brittney emanating his obvious confusion and fear.

"She is in a very select few. Brittney kind of had a thing for killing watchers…and their slayers. Can't write about someone after they have killed you. Never killed them the same way twice and she left little evidence behind that it was her." Angel explained.

"Exactly how many slayer/watcher teams has she killed?" Cordy asked. **I am not sure if I even want to know.**

Angel sighed again and looked over at Brittney, who simply grinned back at him. **She isn't going to help at all is she?** "Six."

Everyone gasped and turned to look at Brittney who was still grinning like the Cheshire Cat. Brittney hopped off the counter and started slowly walking around the room.

**I guess I should help him out a little bit** "That was a long time ago. I was soulless then and most of those were orders from the Master." Brittney said trying to help but laughing slightly on the inside. **If only they knew how many Angel has really killed as well** "Since we are all asking questions here, I have one for all of you. If you guys make a big deal about making sure everyone knows the differences between Angel and Angelus, then why is it that everyone still blames him, and I guess since the situation fits, me as well, for the acts that our soulless counterparts committed?" Brittney asked in a very accusatory tone.

No one knew what to say to that. Angel sat in shock at her question. Not even he had thought of it that way. Even as self-flagellating as he was, he had also always made a distinction between the two.

"She does make a good point." Fred said quietly, being the first one even brave enough to speak.

"Thanks Fred. I knew I would like you." Brittney said propping herself up against the wall.

Fred just smiled and put her head down a little.

"Alright!" Cordy said standing up. "I will agree with your decision to let her stay and help us Angel. But the first time she tries to hurt anyone of us, or any other human in this city, I will be the first one to stake her. And possibly you as well. Got it?!"

"Got it."

"Good, now I am going to go home, where you are not invited," Cordy said looking pointedly at Brittney. "I will see you all bright and early tomorrow morning. Goodnight."

Brittney scoffed and shook her head as Cordelia walked out the door without a second glance behind her. **What a drama queen.**

"Yes, I think it best if we all went to home for the evening so we can collect our thoughts. Goodnight everyone." Wes said following Cordelia out.

Gunn stood, grabbed a box of general tso's chicken, said goodnights to Angel and Fred, and also walked out the door.

Fred was left feeling a little lonely but decided it be best if she, too, went to her room.

"I guess you two have a lot to talk about." Fred said in her southern accent. "I will be in my room if anyone needs me. Goodnight."

"Night Fred!" Brittney said giving her a curt nod before Fred walked up the stairs and out of site.

Brittney walked over and sat on the couch next to Angel. She grabbed a box of noodles, sat back, and looked over at Angel.

"Well, that went better than I expected." She said as she put a forkful into her mouth and smiled.


	5. Chapter 5

New Girl

Part 5

Disclaimer: I don't own any of these characters, except for Brittney

Thoughts are designated by **

*************

Angel sighed and put his head in his hands. He, too, was surprised at how well that went. **They will probably still come in with weapons at the ready tomorrow.**

Brittney looked over at Angel and just shook her head. "Don't be so hard on yourself. Neither of us are dead, they didn't just storm out of here, and they said they would be back tomorrow."

"They don't trust me. They listened to your reason instead of my opinion. I thought they would trust my judgment better than that." Angel said.

"Well, in a sense you did lie to them by not telling them the truth in the beginning. Also, I heard about your little stint as Angelus in Sunnydale a few years ago. So just out of curiosity, how many of them did you attempt to kill?" Brittney asked.

"You're right. They have no reason to trust me."

"They have every reason to trust you." Brittney said.

Angel looked at her confused. ** Hadn't she just made the argument that they couldn't trust me?** "I'm confused. What exactly are you trying to say?"

Brittney sighed, putting her fork in the food container and setting it down. "You may have tried to kill them at one point in time, but you have probably saved their hides more times than you have tried to kill them. And that is why they trust you, because they know that you will be there for them when they need it."

"You're right, I guess."

"You guess? Angel, you have known me for over 250 years, you should know by now that I am always right and 'my logic is undeniable'." Brittney said laughing. ** I bet that little movie quote was lost on him. Guy probably doesn't even own a TV.**

Angel laughed as well shaking his head.

"Granted, you should have told them that you were my sire. That is probably something they would have wanted to know." Brittney said digging through the food options again.

"They didn't exactly give me the opportunity. I will tell them tomorrow." Angel said looking over at Brittney. "How can you eat that stuff?" He said somewhat disgusted.

"It's good. It doesn't taste near as good as blood, but that doesn't mean we can't eat it!" Brittney said taking a bite of an egg roll. "These are actually really good dipped in blood."

"That is disgusting." Angel said getting up. "I am going to go patrolling. Want to come?"

"Hells yeah!" Brittney responded putting the food back on the table. "I definitely didn't get enough action tonight with that little brood."

Angel smiled and started gathering up the food to be put away. When it was done, he grabbed his coat and some weapons, and he and Brittney headed out to patrol.

"So, Angel, do you own a TV?" Brittney asked as they walked out.

*************

The movie quote I referred to ("My logic is undeniable) is from _I, Robot_. VICKI says it to Det. Spooner when explaining why she over-rode the Three Laws.

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	6. Chapter 6

New Girl

Part 6

Disclaimer: I don't own any of these characters, except for Brittney

Thoughts are designated by **

*************

The night flew by rather quickly with very little action. Brittney and Angel took out a grand total of four vampires before heading back to the hotel two hours before sunrise. Even though Brittney had shared Angel's room the day before, he gave her her own room across the hall from his. As Brittney surveyed the room she decided that it needed some serious redecorated in the very near future and told Angel as much. Angel shook his head, said goodnight, and walked to his own room grumbling about shopping trips, money, and lugging furniture up to the second floor.

Around 10AM, Angel's friends showed up and Angel knocked on Brittney's door to get her up for the day. Brittney began to protest but Angel made it very clear that he wanted her dressed and downstairs very quickly.

"Good morning." Angel said as he descended the stairs.

His only replies were a mumbled "hello" from Wes, a look from Gunn, a smile from Fred, and complete ignoring on Cordelia's part.

Angel sighed and sat down on the couch near his friends. "Look guys, I know you aren't comfortable with this situation but it is going to be okay. You need to trust me on this. Brittney will definitely be an asset to our mission."

"Angel, it is not that we don't trust you," Wes began, "it is that we don't trust her. I mean, I know very little about her, just what I researched last night, and the others don't know anything about her."

"I know, which is why I have come up with an idea that I think will help everyone get to know her and for her to get to know all of you." Angel said.

"And what idea might that be exactly?" Brittney said as she came down and sat on the bottom of the stairs. She still didn't like his friends too much and was, in all honesty, not to eager to get to know them.

"Well…ummm…okay, I know you guys aren't really going to like the idea but here it is: each of you will spend some time with Brittney, one-on-one, until you all get to know each other." Angel explained. He sat back in the chair waiting for the backlash to start.

And boy did it come.

Cordelia was the first to make her opinion known. "I don't think so!" Cordelia yelled getting up. "I am not going to be spending any one-on-one time with her. No way, no how!"

The next to chime was Gunn. "'Aint no way! I am not going to do any bonding activities with her."

"ENOUGH!" Angel yelled. "Look, I thought about this all night and I think I have come up with some good plans. I know it seems as if I am forcing you to like each other but…no, I am. She is going to be staying here and she is going to be working with us. If you guys can't get along and don't trust each other, then someone might get seriously hurt, or worse. This is going to be painful and I know you won't become buddies after just a few hours with each other. But I am hoping that you will at least start to get to know one another and maybe trust each other."

Silence filled the lobby for several moments.

Wes was the first to speak up. "Well, the way I see it we all have one of three options." Wes said speaking to Cordelia, Fred and Gunn, "One, Brittney leaves and we go back to the way it was with a much grumpier Angel; two, Brittney stays and we all leave, and we all know how well that worked out before; or three, we go along with Angel's idea and try and work together. As much as I hate to admit it, I am for option three."

"Wow," Brittney said from her spot by the stairs, "and I thought the council was full of mud-brained idiots. That was actually well thought out. Congratulations."

"Thank you…I think." Wes said.

Angel just shook his head but kept his mouth shut. He knew Brittney well enough to know that it hadn't really been a compliment. "So, is everyone in agreement then?" Angel asked.

Everyone nodded and looked over at Brittney who was also agreeing.

"Just to make one thing clear though," Cordelia started, "I don't have to like this."

"Well that is a shame Cordy, seeing as you are going to be going out with Brittney this morning." Angel said giving her a half-smile.

"What?!?" Cordelia and Brittney yelled together.

"Brittney, you want to redecorate your room right? And you need more clothes."

"Well yeah but…"

"Well, that is where Cordelia comes in. I couldn't think of any one better to help you go shopping than her. And Cordelia, I figured if you had to spend time with Brittney than you might as well be shopping, seeing as you love to shop."

"Umm, Angel, I don't have the money for a proper clothing and furniture shopping spree." Cordelia said making more of a point that she was going to be buying a lot of clothes on this particular trip.

Angel sighed and dropped his head. **This is probably going to be the most painful part of the entire ordeal.** "I know. Which is why I will be giving the two of you my credit card for the day. There is no maximum on it and plenty of money in the account."

The squeal elicited from Cordelia was enough to make Angel deaf. Brittney also perked up and was by Angel's side with her hand held out in about a microsecond. Cordelia grabbed her purse and was also by Angel's side faster than she had probably ever moved before.

Angel sighed again, fished out his credit card, and handed it to Brittney as well as the keys to his car. "Please do not crash my car." Angel said.

However, the comment fell on deaf ears as Brittney and Cordelia raced out of the hotel to Angel's waiting car.


	7. Chapter 7

New Girl

Part 7

Disclaimer: I don't own any of these characters, except for Brittney

Thoughts are designated by **

The trip to the mall was made in complete silence. The only sounds that could be heard were from the noises outside. The radio was off due to an instant argument over what station it should be on. Cordelia liked the modern hip-hop music, while Brittney enjoyed country. Neither were particularly keen on listening to classical, talk radio, or Spanish music, so it was decided that it was best just to keep it off.

Brittney looked over to the passenger seat, rolled her eyes, and put her attention back on the road.

*I can't believe I agreed to this. Just because Angel suggested it doesn't make it a good idea. What are we supposed to bond over? Clothes? The males in our lives? Ugh this is ridiculous. Her closet is probably full of pinks, and yellows, and purples; and this little post-high school drama queen has probably slept with more men in her short life than I have in my 200 years. How can Angel stand to be around these humans? Ugh! Thank goodness for GPS though, or we would actually have to talk to each other.*

Brittney sighed for the millionth time and started plotting ways to kill Angel when they returned home. Part of the "bonding experience" rules was that they had to stay out for at least a few hours and stay together. Brittney glanced back over at Cordelia, who was intently studying her nails, and inwardly groaned. *I am so going to kill Angel for this.*

Cordelia was making an effort to focus on anything other than the vampire next to her. With the issues that they had had with Darla and Drusilla, Cordelia couldn't understand why he was letting another "family member" stay with them. Cordelia glanced over in Brittney's direction and just glared.

*This is going to end in disaster. I just know it. Angel can't seem to think clearly when anyone from his past shows up. And who ends up getting hurt, I do. Either physically or mentally, I get hurt. It would be so nice if this little warlock-spell thing just wore off and she burst into flames. Would make my life so much easier. What are we supposed to bond over? She obviously has no fashion sense. It might even be worse than Angel's. She has the body to pull off some great looking clothes and what does she choose? Dark colors on top of more dark colors, topped off with a pair of black boots. Angel is so going to pay for this, monetarily of course. Thank goodness for GPS, or I would actually have to talk to her.*

Cordelia focused her eyes back on her nails. They were almost to the mall and all she wanted was to get out of the car. Usually shopping was something that calmed her down, but she wasn't sure how much help it would be today. She silently cursed Angel for making her do this and took another second to glare and Brittney. *I am so going to kill Angel for this.*

**Author's note**: Sorry for the delay in updates and the short chapter. More will come soon I promise. I know that I repeated some phrases in the thoughts sections, but it was on purpose. I hope you all enjoyed it. Let me know!


	8. Chapter 8

New Girl

Part 8

Disclaimer: I don't own any of these characters, except for Brittney

Thoughts are designated by **

Cordelia and Brittney arrived at the mall at around 11:00 AM. Still not saying a word to each other, they made the trek to the mall entrance in silence. It was a weekend and the mall was already bustling with people of all ages, especially teenagers. As Brittney surveyed the people around them, she couldn't help but notice the fashion sense, or lack there-of, of almost everybody. And it wasn't just the teenagers. Even some of the adults were dressed horribly.

"I have to say," Brittney stated speaking in Cordelia's general direction, "you may dress like Little Miss Prom Queen in all your pinks and girly colors, but at least you don't look like you belong on the corner of Baltimore Street." Brittney nodded her head toward a group of teenage girls whose clothes looked like they were bought straight from a hooker.

Cordelia didn't even look at the girls Brittney was referring to. "And what is wrong with the way I dress?" Cordelia answered back.

"Did you not hear my 'Little Miss Prom Queen' statement?"

"I dress like a woman. Unlike you, who looks like a female version of Angel. I've never understood the black on black on black concept. It doesn't accentuate anything."

"I don't have just black in my wardrobe." Brittney said wondering why she was defending her clothing style. "I happen to have quite the colorful collection of clothes. I just refuse to wear anything too girly. Even when I was human I hated wearing pink. And black is good for patrolling, helps you blend in. Your outfit, however, screams "Come bite me" with a giant neon arrow pointing at you, especially in those shoes." Brittney retorted pointing to Cordelia's 2", bright blue high-heels.

"I don't usually wear something like this when I am demon hunting. I have tennis shoes for just such a purpose." Cordelia answered back. **This girl has the fashion sense of rat. No wonder she doesn't understand my shoes. I bet all this girl owns is boots.** Cordelia sighed and looked around the mall for a second. **Why can't there be a spell to make time move faster?**

Brittney just raised her eyebrows and nodded. She wasn't sure how she was going to spend the next ten minutes with her, let alone the next few hours. **Oh well. Might as well get it over with**

The mall was not very large, only two levels and about a quarter-mile long from end to end. It had the usual array of department stores, women's and men's clothing stores, stores for children and games, and, of course, the always messy food court. Brittney took a right turn when they got the main walkway in hopes of finding a decent clothing store. The first one they came to, however, was American Eagle. Brittney was about to bypass it when Cordelia cleared her throat.

"Angel said we both get to use that credit card, so we are going in here first. I want some new skinny jeans and I need to replace a fuchsia top that was ruined a few nights ago. And, you never know, we might find something in here for you." Cordelia said as she turned into the store.

Brittney just rolled her eyes and followed. She didn't really care for AE but decided it was best to go along. She was going to give Cordelia 20 minutes. If she hadn't found anything by then, she was going to drag her out of there by her long, blond hair. But, she figured while they were in there, she might look around any way. They did have some pretty nice clothes. There were some cute tank tops and basic tees that weren't too bad. Brittney just didn't care for the logo that was blasted on the front of everything. The jean section was atrocious, however. **Seriously, who is a size zero?!** There wasn't a single pair of what she considered "normal jeans" in the entire collection. A lot of the jeans either already had holes in them, or were so brightly colored that they were bound to blind the patrons. Brittney looked over at Cordelia who was eyeing a pair of dark wash skinny jeans. She had two pairs in her hand and was looking for a third. Brittney was about to say something sarcastic about Cordelia taking her sweet time, when she grabbed another pair from the rack and walked toward the dressing room. Having nothing else to do and not wanting to look around the small store any more, Brittney followed her.

To Brittney's surprise, it didn't take long for Cordelia to decide on one of the three pairs of jeans she had tried on. They were actually in and out of the store in the time frame Brittney had mentally given Cordelia.

The next store they came across was Express, a store that Brittney actually liked. And, it turned out, so did Cordelia. Brittney made a bee-line straight for the back of the store where the jeans were kept. She started looking at a few low-rise boot-cut options when Cordelia interrupted her browsing.

"What about a pair like these?" She said holding up a pair of skinny jeans.

"Does it look like my legs would fit into those? Plus, you can't move in them at all! I prefer the boot-cut. A little roomier, but still shows off all the right parts." Brittney responded grabbing two pairs off the shelf and moving towards a pile of tank tops. She grabbed three of them, one red, one blue, and one green. As she added them to her pile, she turned to Cordelia and said, "See, I wear more than black." After she tried on the jeans and decided that both were a good fit, she paid for them and they walked out of the store.

They past a bunch of jewelry, children, and electronic stores before coming to Victoria's Secret and, without any hesitation, they both walked in. At American Eagle, Brittney had followed Cordelia around and vice-versa at Express. But when they walked into this store, they immediately split up and started digging through almost every rack and bin the store had. By the time they were done in Victoria's Secret, an hour had passed and, collectively, they had spent over $500 of Angel's money. As they walked out of the store, arms full of pink-striped bags, they both looked at each other and actually smiled.

"You know," Brittney started, "I am sure we could go back in there and find a dozen more things that we would want to buy. I planned on giving Angel a serious piece of my mind when we got back, but seeing a vampire have a heart attack over the bill from one store, would pretty much be priceless."

Cordelia actually giggled at the comment. "That would be amusing. And it would serve him right for making us do this. But, there are plenty of other stores in the mall, and I only have so much arm space."

"Who cares about arm space, we have a whole trunk and back seat of a car we can fill with shopping bags."

Cordelia stopped for a second and just looked at Brittney. "You know, after shopping at VS, I am actually having a little fun. Not with you, of course, but the shopping part. Although I am surprised that you are a VS person, you seemed more like the Walmart type to me."

"I enjoy shopping." Brittney said as they continued to walk on. "Especially when I am spending someone else's money. And, don't get me wrong, I have no problem shopping at Walmart, but their underwear just doesn't fit as well, nor is it as cute. Plus, if we are going to be punishing Angel's wallet for this little idea of his, might as well do it at the most expensive stores."

Cordelia nodded in agreement and the pressed on. They went into almost everything women's clothing store in the mall, took a break so Cordelia could have some lunch, and then left the mall so they could hit Pier 1 and a few other furniture and home décor stores before heading home.


	9. Chapter 9

New Girl

Part 9

Disclaimer: I don't own any of these characters, except for Brittney

Thoughts are designated by **

By the time 6:00 PM came around, the men were getting worried that Brittney and Cordelia weren't back yet. Cordelia hadn't even called or texted since earlier in the day.

"Where could they possibly be?" Wes asked looking up from his book for the millionth time.

"They are women. Women love to shop." Angel said trying not to sound as worried as Wes had.

He knew that both women enjoyed shopping, it was the shopping with each other that worried Angel. It was getting to the point that Angel was actually getting concerned that one of them had turned on the other and was trying to get rid of the body.

Gunn had spent the entire day cleaning, sharpening, and organizing the weapons cabinet. He didn't trust Brittney and didn't like that she was out alone with Cordelia. He didn't think that Brittney would try and hurt Cordelia while they were out in public, but Angel's "family" didn't seem to have any problem with public displays of violence. He wished he could trust Angel's judgment, but he just couldn't, not after what happened with Darla.

"That's it." Wes said pulling out his phone. "I am going to call Cordelia and see where they are."

But just as he was about to push send, the door opened and Cordelia and Brittney walked in. Their arms were full of bags of all different colors and sizes, and they were actually talking to each other as they walked in.

"Hey, how did it go?" Angel asked not being one to beat around the bush. He wasn't sure what concerned him more, the fact that they were talking to each other, or large number of bags they were holding.

"It went splendidly." Brittney responded with a smile. "We actually had a good time. Stopped so Cordelia could have some lunch and dinner. But I do have one more little favor." Brittney said as her and Cordelia dropped their bags and flopped down on the stairs.

"What is it?" Angel asked.

"Could you please go out to the car and get the rest of the bags. Cordelia and I are beat and can't walk another step.

"I'm sorry, the rest of the bags?" Angel asked incredulously. They had each brought in more than half a dozen bags each. He couldn't imagine how many more they had in the car.

"Yeah. You said we should shop and bond." Cordelia responded taking off a pair of black ballet flats that Angel was sure she hadn't been wearing this morning. "And the best way to bond is to shop. So we made sure to really try and bond."

"How many more bags are out in the car?" Angel asked not wanting to be too surprised when he went out there.

"Just a fair few. I didn't bring a lot of clothes with me so I had to restock and Cordelia needed a few things as well. Plus, you said I could redecorate the bedroom you gave me. Oh, and I should mention that a new bed, night stands, dresser set, and vanity will be delivered here on Monday. We couldn't fit those in the car." Brittney said following Cordelia's example and taking off her own shoes and rubbing her feet.

Angel took a deep breath and looked at the other guys. "Would you two mind giving me a hand. I have a feeling I won't have enough for what these two bought." Angel turned and walked out of the hotel followed quickly and curiously by Wes and Gunn.

"How bad do you think his reaction will be?" Cordelia asked Brittney.

"I don't know, but I am not sticking around to find out. Angel said he would put a mini-fridge in my room and stock it with blood for me. I am going to take these bags up stairs, change into some comfortable pants, and eat some dinner." Brittney answered grabbing up her bags and shoes and heading up the stairs. Before she was two steps up, Brittney stopped and looked at Cordelia. "You know, I actually had fun today. You aren't the complete brainless airhead I thought you were."

"Thanks." Cordelia said with a little snark. "And you aren't the mass-murdering psychopath I thought you were. And I did have fun too. After Angel drags all those bags in, I am going to make him drag it all back out to my car." Cordelia said with a large smile on her face.

Brittney smiled back, said goodnight, and walked to her room, leaving Cordelia smiling on the stairs.


	10. Chapter 10

New Girl

Part 10

Disclaimer: I don't own any of these characters, except for Brittney

Thoughts are designated by **

Angel, Gunn, and Wesley slumped down on the couch in the lobby. It had taken them what seemed like forever to lug all those bags and boxes into the lobby, just to have to carry them back out to Cordelia's car or up to Brittney's room. They couldn't believe all the stuff they bought. They didn't understand why women needed so many clothes, not to mention the shoes. Cordelia alone had bought six new pairs of shoes. When asked about them, Cordelia said that shoes alone can boost a woman's mood and that she should always be prepared for any occasion. Brittney, thankfully, hadn't bought more than two pairs of ballet flats and one pair of simple heels. She did, however, have three bags from H&M and had decided that she needed the new 32G iPhone 5, even though her old cell phone was less than a year old. Angel assumed she had bought it just to spend his money. He didn't like cell phones too much, and didn't understand peoples' attachment to them.

After her bags had been loaded in her car, Cordelia had left for the evening saying that her bathtub was waiting for her. If she had a vision, she would call. Other than that, the guys were to leave her alone.

Even though Angel was dreading getting his credit card bill for the month, he was happy that the women seemed to have had fun. They both came home alive, without any injuries, and they looked happy. And that was all Angel wanted. They didn't have to get along they just had to be civil. Angel had intentionally sent Cordelia with Brittney first, knowing that if the women were willing to be nice to her, that Wes and Gunn would follow suit, which was why he was trying to come up with an appropriate Fred/Brittney activity. Fred was not outgoing, in fact, she didn't like going out at all. Also, the only things that Angel knew Fred liked were physics and old movies. Brittney may like old movies, but he wasn't sure how he would be able to work that.

After a few moments, Wes got up to leave. He had to go to the magic shop before they closed to get a few things they were running low on. Wes always believed in being prepared and having a well-stocked closet of potions, herbs, and other magical trinkets. Gunn followed him out. He had a meeting with Anne to discuss setting up a fundraiser for the shelter. While Gunn wasn't really the fundraising type, he would do anything to help Anne out.

After a while, Angel decided to see how Brittney was coming along with her unpacking. When he got upstairs, however, he regretted the decision. The hallway outside her bedroom door was filled with empty bags, boxes, and Styrofoam. Angel waded through the mess and stopped in Brittney's doorway. Even with all the bags outside, there was still plenty still unpacked sitting on the floor.

"Tell me something," Angel asked stepping through the maze of packages to sit on the trunk at the end of the bed, "was all of this necessary or did you just buy them to use my money?"

"Most of it was necessary." She replied hanging up her fourth new dress.

Angel just nodded. He knew he couldn't say anything about it since he had given them permission to use the card as they pleased. But Angel tended to lean toward a minimalist view of life when it came to things like clothes and room decorations.

"I bought a bunch of new sheets and blankets for the bed, so all the old ones can go to Gunn's friend's shelter. Cordelia told me about it while we were out. Oh, and I forgot to mention there will also be a new chair delivered Monday as well, along with all the other things."

"I know I said you could redecorate, but why, exactly, did you feel the need to completely refurnish the room?"

"Because I wanted to." Brittney replied with a smile.

Angel knew that phrase. He had heard it many times from many women over his long life. That simple phrase meant the discussion was over and he was to pretend to be happy with the decision made. He had tried to argue with Darla once when she had said it and all he won in the end was a lot of grief, so he decided to change the subject.

"It seemed like you and Cordelia had a good time."

"We actually did. Cordelia isn't as much of an airhead as she looks. We actually found things to talk about that we could both agree on. I am not saying that we are going to be BFFs, but I think I can try and be nice to her from now on. She told me a bit about everyone here and what you guys did. She told me how everyone met each other and saving Fred from an alternate dimension. She also told me about every single time you went off the deep end in one way, shape, or form. I think she was trying to make a point with that one." Brittney said glancing sideways at Angel.

"Probably was." Angel agreed. Angel looked around the room and stood up. "So, any way that I can help speed this process along?"

"Sure! You can start unpacking all the things over in the pile by the bathroom door. Those are all things for the room. That won't need to be moved when the new furniture arrives. There is a box of nails and a hammer on the nightstand. Just start unpacking and I will tell you where I would like it to go." Brittney said.

For the next hour, Angel helped Brittney arrange her decorations while she finished unpacking, folding, and hanging her clothes. They talked, laughed, and joked about everything. Brittney threatened to buy Angel a new cell phone but Angel wanted nothing to do with it. The look on Brittney's face, however, told Angel he was fighting yet another losing battle. He knew that they were important, especially with what they did, but that didn't stop him from hating them.

When all the unpacking that could be done was complete, they cleaned up the room and hallway, checked that Fred didn't need anything, and went out on patrol. The night was uneventful with only a few rogue vampires crossing their path. Angel used the evening more as a tour than actual patrol. He showed Brittney all the ins and outs of the city and how to get around. He showed her the sewer and access tunnels and how to get back to the Hyperion whether above ground or below. Brittney enjoyed this time. It reminded her of the past when the whole family would spend their first evening in a new city just exploring and doing a little recon for future hunting trips. The only difference was that it was just the two of them this time and instead of planning human hunts, they were planning demon hunts.

When the night was over and the sun was beginning to rise, the pair made their way back to the hotel. Brittney decided to stay in Angel's room again that night. She claimed she didn't want to sleep in her new room until she had all of her new things in Monday night. In truth, she just missed being close to her sire. No matter how old she became or how much she may hate or love her sire from one decade to the next, she would always be drawn to him by their sire/childe bond. They fell asleep almost instantly and Brittney dreamt of times gone by.


End file.
